I figured this would be a good way to sneak in some veggies. Since I obviously have to cook for myself the way a mother needs to cook for a 3-year old.

When I look for vegetable recipes, I often turn to the masters of the kitchen – Giada in this case.

I also have my share of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. No, I will never give up bacon and cheese, but I figure if anyone knows how to make vegetables taste good, it has to be vegetarians.

But I’m still stuck on the theory that vegetables taste like mud when I make them and like diamond-crusted, chocolate-stuffed bacon when someone else makes them for me. In other words, can you come over and cook some veggies for me?

Let me just say that I loved the cherry tomatoes in here. They were the best part – adding a bit of sweetness to the cheesy pasta.

Another thing I love is how versatile this dish is. Different cheeses, different pastas, different veggies (or not…) can all be substituted to personalize the cupcakes.

In pasta bowl, add provolone and cheddar and combine. Add 2-3 tablespoons pasta mixture to each muffin tin. Place tomatoes and zucchini throughout pasta in each muffin top. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan and breadcrumbs.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely, then gently remove with a spoon.

These would be a great weekend treat.

And you can eat a lot of them too, because you know, weekend calories don’t count.

These are amazing! I used trader joes shredded smoked 4 cheese mix (smoked cheddar, gouda, provolone and mozzerella) instead of only cheddar and provolone and it was great!

I used bacon instead of zucchini. They were soo good!! I brought them to work for a party, and they were the first to go. Everyone loved them! The bacon was perfect too!! I’m sure zucchini is good too, I guess, but I couldn’t find any. Thanks for sharing!!

HAD A PROJECT TO COME UP WIHT AN APP FOR A HALLOWEEN PARTY….

THESE TURNED OUT TO BE A HUGE HIT! THANK YOU FOR SHARRING!!!

I made a makeshift version of this with what i had around the house.
I used Rotini whole wheat pasta, a plum tomato and spinach with Asiago, Mozzarella and Monetary Jack cheese.
The flavor was simply delicious, the presentation sub par.
I blame it on the rotini pasta, i suggest using one that is more solid and packing the muffin tins well with the filling before baking.
i will definitely be making these again!
:)

Great idea. I made this in mini-muffin tins as a two-bite appetizer. Used mini penne (from Barilla’s “piccolini” line), omitted the veggies due to size and added a bit of cayenne pepper to the bread crumb/parmesan topping. They were a hit. Note to self: stuff the cups next time as this does shrink in baking. Thanks for the recipe.